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Red Sox Sign Felipe Lopez

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Felipe Lopez has joined the Red Sox for the remainder of the 2010 season, reports Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.  Lopez was released by St. Louis on Tuesday and was claimed on waivers by the Padres earlier today.  Lopez chose to veto San Diego's offer and instead signed with the Red Sox. 

A source tells Miller that one of the reasons that Boston was interested in Lopez was because, as a Type B free agent, the team can get a compensation pick if Lopez signs elsewhere in the winter (provided he turns down Boston's offer of arbitration).  As Miller points out, it's odd that Lopez would pass on the chance to play in a pennant race with San Diego, even though he wouldn't have qualified for the Padres' postseason roster anyway.

Ozzie Guillen Wants Contract Extension?

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FRIDAY, 8:00pm: Guillen clarified today that he isn't specifically seeking out or asking for a contract extension, but "he just wants to know where he stands in the eyes of the organization," tweets Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.  The Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales passes on this quote from the White Sox manager (via Twitter): "My thing is, every year, every manager, every player, they want to know what’s my stance. That’s it."

WEDNESDAY, 7:36pm: White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen told reporters this evening that he is seeking a contract extension, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. 

"My mind is ready," Guillen said, while adding that he plans to sell his home in Miami and buy a house in Chicago. "I want to be here as long as I can. I want to be with the White Sox for the rest of my career, but this is a business. I like to know what they have in mind. It's nice to have an extension. You have security but meanwhile, I have another year on the contract."

The controversial manager also stressed that he is not tempted to test the waters of a potentially wide-open free agent market.  Guillen's current deal is guaranteed through the 2011 season.

Extension Candidate: Carlos Marmol

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Carlos Marmol and the Cubs agreed to a one-year, $2.125MM contract last February as the reliever and club avoided a hearing in Marmol's first arbitration season.  The deal gave Marmol almost four times what he earned in 2009, and he'll be up for another big raise this winter whether he and the Cubs work out another one-year deal or if they pursue a longer-term option.

Marmol took over as Chicago's closer midway through the 2009 season, but his control problems made some wonder whether Marmol could last in the role.  While Marmol is still walking more batters than the Cubs would like (a 6.1 BB/9 rate), it's still an improvement over the 7.9 BB/9 rate that he posted last year.  More importantly, Marmol has also improved his ERA, WHIP, hits/9 rate and K/BB ratio from 2009, and upped his already-impressive 11.3 K/9 rate last season to a whopping 15.9 K/9 in 2010.  His 62 games finished are also the most in baseball.

Should the Cubs wish to pursue a one-year deal with Marmol again, Heath Bell's one-year, $4MM deal with the Padres last winter is a suitable model.  Bell, like Marmol, was coming off his first season as his team's closer and delivered an All-Star performance.  Bell's 2009 and Marmol's 2010 were pretty similarly impressive — Bell had the better K/BB ratio, BB/9 and WHIP, while Marmol has the superior K/9 rate, HR/9, hits/9, and has already thrown more innings.  Bell did have the advantage of pitching at PETCO Park, so between that and inflation, Marmol has an argument that he should earn closer to $5MM than $4MM.

In terms of a multi-year option, Marmol and agent Barry Praver will look at Brian Wilson's two-year, $15MM extension with San Francisco as a starting point.  While Wilson has certainly pitched well enough this season to lower some of the eyebrows that were raised when he signed that extension last winter, the Cubs may hesitate to commit that much money to Marmol given his still-present control issues.  It should be noted, however, that even with Marmol's 2009 wildness, he still put up a 3.41 ERA and held opposing batters to a .170 average, so it's not like he pitched poorly.  If Marmol's 2011 season is akin to his 2009, it would still be a campaign that the Cubs wouldn't feel sick about paying around $7.5MM to keep.

Given Marmol's high ceiling, the Cubs might be wise to shoot for an option-heavy contract similar to the one that their ex-closer Kevin Gregg received from the Blue Jays last winter.  Gregg received $2.75MM for 2010, and the Jays can pick up a 2011 option for $4.5MM or an option for both 2011 and 2012 for a total of $8.75MM.  Obviously Toronto was able to get such a team-friendly deal since Gregg struggled in 2009, but if the Cubs double the dollar amounts, Marmol might accept the cost-certainty.  The last option year (that would theoretically cover Marmol's first free agent year) could be adjusted to a mutual option, giving Marmol the ability to walk away after 2012 if he thinks there's an eight-figure offer on the market.  If Marmol keeps up his form from the last four seasons, such an offer would certainly exist.

Chicago already has approximately $103MM committed to next year's payroll, and that's not counting the pay bump that Geovany Soto (an extension candidate himself) will get in his first year of arbitration.  Given the fungibility of relief pitching, the Cubs may lock up Marmol for next year and revisit his contract situation next offseason, thus taking the risk of having to pay more in 2012 for a pitcher who is on the cusp of being one of baseball's elite closers.  Either that or a combination of the Wilson and Gregg contracts — a two-year, $15MM deal with a team option to buy out Marmol's first free agent year for $10MM.

 

Francisco Rodriguez’s Trade Value

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Two winters ago, Francisco Rodriguez was the most attractive free agent closer around, but if the Mets put him on the trade market this winter, it's hard to imagine that interest would be anything but tepid. With so much uncertainty surrounding the Mets front office, most attempts to predict the team's offseason moves are speculative, but it's safe to say that Rodriguez, now on the disqualified list, may end up on the trade market this winter. 

Last month, Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggested that Rodriguez is nearly untradeable. A post-game outburst in August led to an arrest – not the sort of behavior teams look for from their players. Worse still, Rodriguez injured a ligament in his thumb and required surgery. He should be ready for the 2011 season, but teams can't be completely certain about the reliever's health.

Rodriguez isn't cheap, either. He makes $11.5MM in 2011 and will earn a $3.5MM buyout for the 2012 portion of his contract, even if his option doesn't vest. In other words, any team acquiring Rodriguez will face a $15MM commitment for a pitcher whose fastball has slowed down 4 mph over the course of the last four seasons.

But Rodriguez can pitch, despite the dropoff in velocity. He had 25 saves and a 2.20 ERA with 10.5 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 before his injury. He's just 28, but he has been one of the most dominant late-inning relievers in baseball for most of the last decade and has already made 21 postseason appearances. K-Rod has lived up to his nickname, striking out far more than a batter per inning over the course of his career.

Teams will presumably shy away from him because of his reputation as a hot-head, but supposed problem players like Manny Ramirez (2008), Vicente Padilla (2009) and Yunel Escobar (2010) have rewarded the teams that looked past their reputations. Rodriguez could do the same, but a team would have to trade for him first. At this point, it looks like the Mets would have to take on significant salary to make a deal, and even if the front office were willing to do so, the odds would be stacked against a trade.

Orioles Could Pursue Victor Martinez

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It looks like the Orioles could take a "serious run" at Victor Martinez when he hits free agency this offseason, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). The Orioles have one of the game's most promising young catchers, Matt Wieters, but they would rotate Martinez between catcher, first base and designated hitter.

The Red Sox offered Martinez a two-year extension, but he turned it down and the sides have decided to resume talks after the season. The 31-year-old should have suitors to spare this offseason (though V-Mart probably won't be a fit on the Marlins).

Martinez has a .299/.347/.489 line this year with 18 home runs and he will almost certainly be a Type A free agent after the season. Though the Orioles are playing better, they still have one of the game's worst records and will therefore have a protected first rounder in next year's draft. That means they'd only have to surrender a second rounder to sign Martinez or another Type A free agent.

Five Difference-Making Waiver Claims

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No one can compete with Cesar Carrillo when it comes to waiver claims. The former first rounder was claimed three times within two weeks this month, so he's approaching waiver claim Hall of Fame territory. Here are five other waiver claims that made a difference this season:

  • White Sox Claim Manny Ramirez, August 31st, 2010 – Ramirez has been getting on base, but he has just one extra base hit since joining the White Sox. GM Kenny Williams was hoping for a repeat of Manny's 2008 surge, but he didn't get it and Chicago won't make the playoffs.
  • Dodgers Claim Rod Barajas, August 22nd, 2010 – Barajas has an .882 OPS since joining the Dodgers, but it won't be enough to lead the team back to the playoffs. The catcher did his part when the team was in contention, hitting three homers in his first five games as a Dodger.
  • Pirates Claim Chris Resop, August 4th, 2010 – The Pirates bought low on Resop and he has responded with 17.2 solid innings; he has walked 5.1 batters per nine, but also has a 2.04 ERA and 10.7 K/9 in Pittsburgh.
  • Astros Claim Nelson Figueroa, July 21st, 2010 – The 36-year-old Figueroa pitched 54.1 innings for the Astros after GM Ed Wade claimed him from his former team, the Phillies. The right-hander posted a 3.98 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 for Houston.
  • Indians Claim Jayson Nix, June 24th, 2010 – Nix has played second, third and left for the Indians and though he doesn't get on base much, he has hit 11 homers for the Tribe.

Padres Claim Felipe Lopez

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The Padres placed a waiver claim on Felipe Lopez and are waiting to see if they will be awarded the claim according to MLB.com's Corey Brock. The Cardinals released the infielder earlier in the week, partly because he was late more than once. Lopez didn't hit particularly well either, posting a .231/.310/.340 line as a utility player in St. Louis.

Some teams might hesitate to add an apparently unmotivated player in the thick of a pennant race, but the Padres are just a half game behind the Giants in the NL West and they need all the support possible, especially now that Jerry Hairston Jr. is on the disabled list again. Lopez played all four infield positions in St. Louis and his versatility could help Bud Black's Padres over the course of the season's final nine games.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: LaRue, Martin, Ortiz, Minaya

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On this date four years ago, Trevor Hoffman set a new career saves mark when he retired Ryan Doumit, Jose Bautista, and Freddy Sanchez of the Pirates in order. His 479th save moved him past Lee Smith and into first place on the all-time list, a spot he still holds today with 600 career saves on the nose. Other than Mariano Rivera and the soon-to-retire Billy Wagner, no active closer is within 310 saves of Hoffman's mark.

Here's a collection of links from the last week of the baseball blog world…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Kerry Wood

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Kerry Wood signed a $20.5MM deal the last time he hit free agency, and though he isn't likely to sign for nearly as much this offseason, his stint in the Bronx has strengthened his free agent case. Wood arrived in New York after an injury-filled first half that saw him post a 6.30 ERA in 20 innings, but he has pitched better since joining the Yankees. It probably won't be enough for GM Brian Cashman to pick up the $11MM option the Yankees have for Wood in 2011, so the right-hander will likely be a free agent.

In 23 innings with his new team, Wood has allowed 13 walks and 13 hits with 26 strikeouts for a sparkling 0.39 ERA. His control is still suspect, but the strikeouts are there and Wood has been hard to hit. It was more than 12 years ago that Wood pitched his one-hit, 20 strikeout shutout, but the former first rounder is still just 33. 

Wood projects to be a Type B free agent, which means he won't cost teams a draft pick, even if the Yankees offer arbitration. The Red Sox were interested in Wood at the trade deadline and though they may prioritize left-handed relievers this winter, they could have interest once again. The D'Backs, Angels and Blue Jays are among the many teams that could be looking for veteran right-handed relievers this offseason.

Wood's strong second half and history of dominant performances should interest multiple teams, but his history of elbow, shoulder and triceps injuries will likely make those clubs reluctant to commit for more than a season. A one-year deal worth $5-6MM seems like a reasonable target for Wood this winter.

Odds & Ends: Church, Ortiz, Thome, Beltre

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On this date in 1998, the Angels signed Francisco Rodriguez as an international free agent. K-Rod, as he would later be nicknamed, saved 208 games in his dominant seven-year stint with the Angels, striking out 587 batters in 451.2 innings. Now a member of the Mets, Rodriguez is on the disqualified list after a Citi Field altercation led to a season-ending injury and lots of time in court. Here are today's links…

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